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Air Canada rouge prepares for launch

Air Canada rouge, Air Canada’s LCC start-up subsidiary, is preparing to launch services in Jul-2013 and is currently training its first 150 flight attendants. The carrier's flight attendants are currently training at Air Canada’s Montreal and Toronto training facilities and are receiving specialised customer service training at the Disney Institute in Florida, US. rouge unveiled its new uniform on 27-May-2013 featuring specialised accessories such as rouge branded scarves, neck ties and hats. President and CEO Michael Friisdahl said, "Our inflight crews will embody the distinctive leisure personality that we want our customers to enjoy on Air Canada rouge.” rouge plans to hire its next round of flight attendants in Aug-2013 averaging 25 to 40 flight attendants for every aircraft delivered over the next three years. rouge plans to operate 20 Boeing 767-300ERs and 30 A319s within the next three to five years. [more - original PR]

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The first commercial flight of the Bombardier CS300 on 14-Dec-2016, operated by airBaltic from Riga to Amsterdam, will be a major milestone for the Canadian manufacturer's new C Series aircraft programme. Three CS100 aircraft are already in service with SWISS, so the airBaltic flight will mean that both variants of the C Series are finally in commercial operation.

The programme is Bombardier's first wholly new aircraft development, aimed at the 100 to 150-seat market segment and offering advantages of fuel efficiency, cabin space, noise and emissions. Bombardier once targeted 2013 for entry into service, but has been dogged by problems and delays. In 2015, Bombardier seemed to have overstretched itself. The C Series received no new orders during the year and Bombardier was forced to seek investment from the Province of Québec to rescue the programme.

In 2016 the company has recovered to win a net 117 new orders, its highest annual total, bringing the programme total to 360. However, competition is cut-throat, with Airbus, Boeing and Embraer all having new developments of existing products in the same space as the C Series. Bombardier's breakthrough orders from Air Canada and Delta in 2016 required heavy price discounts.

The summer 2016 season came to an end on 29-Oct-2016. Adjusting for an extra week relative to the previous summer, it produced seat growth of 6% for capacity to/from/within Europe, matching the rate of growth in summer 2015, but higher than the 10-year average rate of 4% and higher than any other summer since 2010.

Current indications from data filed with OAG are that Europe will also experience accelerating capacity growth in the winter 2016/2017 season, which runs from 30-Oct-2016 to 25-Mar-2017. Adjusting for the season being shorter by one week relative to last winter, total seat growth in Europe is set to reach 7%, compared with 6% growth in winter 2015/2016 (and 6% growth in summer 2016). This is higher than the 10-year average rate for winter of 3% and the highest winter growth since 2007/2008.

On routes to all but one region from Europe, seat growth this winter will both be faster than last winter and higher than its 10-year average. The one exception is Europe to Middle East, the fastest-growing region, where capacity growth will remain at 10%. This report presents analysis of this winter's seat growth for Europe by region and by airline group.